Shoe polisher and guard.



A. M. TOWLE. SHOE POLISHER AND GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, I917.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

avwemtoz H- M -Tow LE atmnu ADELIBERTJVL v."LOVVIJE, OF AUGUSTA, M*'.AI NE. I I

SHOE r'oLIsHEn Anneimnn Specification of Letters Patent. .Pate11ted'.-Ma,r, :12, 1918,.

Applicati'on fi1e'd. March- 24, 1917. SeriaLNOaISZIBO.

ToaZZ whom it'may concern: T

'Be it known that :1, ADELBERT M. TowLn, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Augusta, inthecounty ofKennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe Polishers and Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in shoe polishers and has relation more particularly to a device of this general character especially designed and adapted for use in the p'olishin g-upof a shoe in the last stages of manufactureand particularly wherein the welt or thestitching is of a color different from that of the upper of the shoe; andit is an object of the inventionto provide a noveland improved device=of this general character including a holder fora swab or sponge and wherein said holder serves as a guardto prevent the polish or dressing when applied tothe shoe upper by the swab or sponge from smirching or-soiling the shoe welt or the stitches disposed through the welt.

The invention also has for an object to provide .a novel and improved device of this general character which permits the dresser or treer to polish up -a shoe with greater expedition than is possible-by the methods now generally employed.

The invention consists in the details :of construction and inthe combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved polisher whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered-simpler; less expensive and otherwise more convenient and: advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of the-invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

'In order that m'y'inv'ention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a view in top plan of a shoe polisher constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation of my improved device with the swab or sponge omitted;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in plan of the free extremity of the returned portion of the plate as herein embodied; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view takenthrough. the device as herein embodied ]with certain oh the p'arts indicated 'by dotted mes.

.Asiherein.disclosed, myimproived polisher comprises the fiat 1 elongated iinetall ic plate P 3 having one end .port-ion .angu-l'arly .;disposed in adirection transversely of= the plate P as at .1, with a margin-of saidwangula'fly disposed portion disposed on .a :predetermined curvatureyas indicated atzQ. Thevopposite end portion: of theplate'Pis returned, as indicatec at 8.

The. angular portion 1 ofthczplate PETS provided awithxthe -openings :4 arranged tin an oblique plane relative. to the lon gitudinal arlis of. the portion 1 1.

Threaded ithrongh itlie openings :4 is "a length iof=wire :5 or the like. having its iouter end portions angulafly :disposed, "as indicated at 6,1 to afford headssothat'when the outer orifree. end portions of the wire-15.- are seated within the open slots 7 produced in the free extremity of the returned portion 3,th;e same will be eflectivelyilockeditherewith. v:This locking action is zfurthe-r Y enhanced in view of the, fact that the returned portion 3 possesses a *certain degree of inherent= resiliency.

As disclosed in a the accompanying "drawings, it is preferred that the slots 7 be arranged in convergence with their closedends forwardly directed. .Ith'ZtS also been found ofnadvantage' tOzpIOViClB the innerorv closed end portions of the slots .7 with the for wardly directed notches S-in whiclrthe extremities 'of the wire 5 are adapted to be seated in order to further.facilitatethe looking of said :free end portions of .the wire with the returnedportiOn-B of theplate 5P.

"S'denotes a swabzofany desired material but apreferably of .sp onge and which :is held to the plate P through the medium of the wire '5, said swab :"being disposed between the strands 9 of the wire 5 when the free end portions of said wire are in locked engagement with the returned portion 3 of the plate P, as has hereinbefore been set forth.

In operation the dresser'grasps the-polisher with his or her four fingers contacting with the plate P with the forefinger adjacent the outer end of the angular portion 1 and with the thumb engaging the swab at a point remote from the portion 1. The operator inserts the left hand within the shoe to be dressed with the thumb at the heel portion thereof and the fingers fanned within the toe portion of the shoe. With the shoe in an inverted position the polisher is drawn therearound with the angular portion 1 extending between the welt and the upper of the shoe. By this arrangement it will be perceived that the portion 1 efiectively serves to prevent the polish or other dressing carried by the swab from smirclr ing or soiling the welt of the shoe or the stitches passing therethrough. It is preferred that the guard be engaged between the welt and upper of the shoe adj acent the back seam and then passing the polisher entirely around the shoe. Itwill be understood however that after the portion of the upper adjacent the welt has been dressed the body portion of the swab or sponge may be employed for applying polish or dressing to the entire portion of the upper.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the major portion of the plate P is shown as disposed along the right side of the swab or sponge. In the event, however, that it is desired to employ my polisher in connection with a shoe supported by a conventional type of tree as is sometimes generally employed, it is to be understood that the major portion of the plate P is to be positioned along the left side of the swab or sponge.

In practice the end portion of the plate P as defined'by the curved margin 2 serves as the working portion of the device, while the remaining portion of the plate P together with the strands 9 serve to maintain the swab S compactly in applied position.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a polisher constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reasonl do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement comprising an elongated plate having one end portion provided with a return bend, members engaged with the opposite end portion of the plate and operatively engaged with the bent portion of the plate, and a swab resting upon the plate and extending between the members, the connection between the members and the returned portion of the plate being detachable.

3. A device of the character described comprising an elongated plate having one end portion provided with a return bend, the extremity of said bent portion being provided with slots, members operatively engaged with the opposite end portion of the plate and terminating in heads, the portions of the members provided with the heads being insertible within the slotsof the bent portion of the plate, and a swab disposed along the plate and between the members when said members are operatively engaged with the bent portion of the plate.

4. A device of the character described comprising an elongated flat plate having one end portion angularly disposed in a direction transversely of the plate, a margin of said angularly disposed portion being arranged on a predetermined curvature, a swab co-acting with the plate, and means for holding the swab in applied position relative to the plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ADELBERT M. TOWLE.

Witnesses JOHN B. MAnox, JOsEPI-I M. CADAUTTE.

@opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eaten'ta,

Washington, D. G. 

